Monday 21st September 2015 – 6.50pm – Murray MacGregor.
The quick actions of an off duty paramedic have helped save the life of a passenger who was choking whilst on board a train.
An emergency call was put out on the tannoy of the Virgin Trains Liverpool to London service as it stopped at Stafford Station at about 1.45pm this afternoon, Monday.
The man, who was in a first class carriage, had stopped breathing and was becoming hypoxic from a lack of oxygen after eating a sandwich.
North West Ambulance Service paramedic Paul Jones jumped out of his own carriage and ran along the platform to where the patient was to find another passenger trying CPR on the man.
After quickly assessing the choking man’s condition, he used abdominal thrusts, back slaps, finger sweeps and manipulated the man’s throat until a large chunk of food came out; this allowed the passenger to breathe slightly.
At this point an ambulance crew and rapid response vehicle arrived, three minutes after the 999 call. The three West Midlands Ambulance Service staff worked with Mr Jones to continue treating the man, clearing his throat completely and giving him oxygen.
The man, who was in his 50s, was then taken off the train and driven by ambulance on blue lights the short distance to County Hospital, Stafford.
Mr Jones, said: “It wasn’t an easy job working in the confines of the carriage, but working with the West Midlands staff, we were able to free all of the obstruction and the man had regained consciousness and was definitely looking better as he left on the ambulance. This was a job well done by everyone who helped.”
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman added: “There is no doubt that the early intervention of Mr Jones and the other people in the carriage has given this man the best possible chance of survival.
“Whilst it is early days, he was well enough to give ambulance staff a hug and thank them for their help before the crew left the hospital.”
